Step-ladder



(No Model.)

W27! Wag/ E. M. BENJAMIN.

STEP LADDER.

Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

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NrTno STATES PATENT CFFICE.

EDSON M. BENJAMIN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

snp-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,513, dated October 6, 1885.

Application tiled December 18, 1884. Serial No. 150,613. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, FDsoN M. BENJAMIN, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Step-Ladders, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Where- Figure l is a side view or my improved ladder, illustrating in dotted outline one of the positions in which the ladder may be placed. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same device, showing in full lines the ladder as extended. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on enlarged scale through the sliding legs on plane denoted by line x of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail view in cross-section, illustrating the clamp device of the ladder-sections.

The advantage of my invention is to improve the class of step-ladders that are eX- tensible, and by reason of such extensibility are not only adapted to almost all situations and positions in which a ladder may be used, but may also serve as a horse to support a platform for the use of painters, plasterers, and the like artisans.

It consists in the combination of the sliding ladder-sections and leg-sections with the respective guide and clamping devices, as more particularly hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, tte letter a denotes the main ladder-section having side bars, a', and steps or rungs e?, and b the sliding ladder-section having side bars, b', and steps or rungs b2, the sections being held in sliding contact by means of the straps c that are fastened to one of the sections and overlap and grasp the other section, but not so tightly as to prevent the sliding of one section upon the other. Each strap bears a clamp-screw, c', by means of which the sections may be clamped in any desired relative position within the play ot' the sliding sections. The steps are preferably so arranged in each section that when the ladder is closed the steps shall be on the same level as shown in Fig. 2, by a breaking away of parts of the step, and of course any desired number of steps may be used. Hinged to the upper part of the main section are legs d, to which is held, by means of straps f, the sliding section e, and a clamp-screw, f, is used to hold this sliding section at any desired degree of eX- tension within the limit of its play. The respective leg-sections are suitably strengthened by cross-braces g and g', and are held at the required distance apart by means of the tie or hook h, pivoted to the legs of the ladder and hooking into an eye or socket'in the ladder-section in the ordinary manner. The sliding leg-sections are held together by means of a T-shaped strap, i, of metal, that is fastened in the lower section, c, extends through the slot d in the upper section, and is turned lto each side upon the inner side of the section d. This T-shapcd strap, together with the strap f, forms a simple and effective means of holding and guiding the sliding sections.

My improved device may be used on any sloping surface or in places where the bottom of the ladder and the bottom of the legs have to be placed at unequal heights, as illustrated in Fig. 1, where the ladder stands upon astep and the legs rest upon the floor beyond.

When used as a horse to support a platform or the like, the ladder may be held at any desired height, even to parts of an inch, within the length of the ladder by adjusting the parts so that one of the steps shall stand at the re quired height, and then tightening on the clamp-screws.

I am aware that extensible step-ladders are not new, such having been shown in the patent to H. T. Smit-h, No. 66,179, dated June 25, 1867, and such I do not broadly claim.

I claim as my invention- The combination of the main ladder-section a with side bars and steps, the sliding ladder-section b with its side bars and steps,the straps c with the clampscrews c', and the legs-section d, hinged to the ladder and bearing the sliding leg section e, with T- shaped straps t', passing through slots in the legs, and strap f, bearing the olampscrew f and a tie-rod, It, all substantially as described.

EDSON M. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

Clins. L. BURDETT, W. H. MARSH. 

